Over Diagnosed or Over Looked? : The Effect of Age at Time of School Entry on Students Receiving Special Education Services. EdWorkingPaper No. 20-259 / Anna Shapiro.
Much of the literature estimating disproportionality in special education identification rates has focused on socioeconomic status, race, and gender. However, recent evidence suggests that a student's school starting age also impacts the likelihood they receive special education services, parti...
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| Online Access: |
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED610284.pdf |
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse,
2020.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Much of the literature estimating disproportionality in special education identification rates has focused on socioeconomic status, race, and gender. However, recent evidence suggests that a student's school starting age also impacts the likelihood they receive special education services, particularly in the early grades. I build on the evidence that the youngest students in a grade more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and more likely to be placed in special education by estimating the effect of school starting age on special education identification in Michigan. I also estimate heterogeneity in this effect by student characteristics and across school districts. Using a regression discontinuity design exploiting variation in kindergarten starting age generated by a statewide kindergarten entrance age policy, I find that the youngest students in a kindergarten cohort are 40% more likely (3.3 percentage points, p<0.001) to be placed in special education than are the oldest students, and that this effect persists through eighth grade. Despite little evidence of heterogeneity by gender, race, or socioeconomic status, I find some suggestive evidence that the effect is particularly large for white boys in the early elementary grades and for black girls in the later elementary grades. I find no evidence that these effects vary across school districts. Finally, I find exploratory evidence of variation by school cohort age composition, suggesting these effects are driven moreso by relative age comparisons than absolute age developmental differences. Given the importance of special education services to the academic success of children with disabilities, these findings have implications for schools and for policymakers seeking to improve special education program provision. |
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| Item Description: | Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: AISR_Info@brown.edu; Web site: http://www.annenberginstitute.org. Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED). Contract Number: R305A140059. Abstractor: As Provided. Educational level discussed: Early Childhood Education. Educational level discussed: Elementary Education. Educational level discussed: Kindergarten. Educational level discussed: Primary Education. Educational level discussed: Junior High Schools. Educational level discussed: Middle Schools. Educational level discussed: Secondary Education. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (71 pages) |
| Access: | Access rights: Yes. |
| Type of Computer File or Data Note: | Text (Reports, Research) |
| Preferred Citation of Described Materials Note: | Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. |